Engines fueled with ethanol have proven difficult to start at temperatures less than about 15.degree. C. because at low temperatures ethanol does not produce sufficient vapor to support combustion. The current practice in starting ethanol fueled engines at low temperatures is to discharge a quantity of gasoline into the engine induction system; a fraction of the gasoline evaporates sufficiently to start the engine, and the resulting increase in engine temperature is sufficient to thereafter sustain operation on ethanol.